


To Live Without A Lifeline

by moonhyun



Category: Block B
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Vampires, Violence, Witches, the moon plays a big role
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 11:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14448339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonhyun/pseuds/moonhyun
Summary: He never imagined he'd die like this, in a dark alley with pale hands gripping onto his shirt and nothing to do about it and as he waits, with his eyes locked on those red eyes and glinting teeth, he wonders if he's okay with it.





	1. Red Light

Yukwon doesn't expect to see red when he first opens his eyes, sight still blurry and a sharp pain in his ribs with every breath he takes. 

He doesn't remember why he's laying on the damp ground of an alley at god-knows o'clock at night, but that doesn't matter when the red gets closer to his face and through the haze he realizes that the red is a pair of eyes. If the color wasn't enough, something about them settles a panic in his chest but he's too disoriented and weak to do anything but look on. Something glints in the light of the dim street lamp and it takes everything in Yukwon to try and back away when he realizes what it is and what it means for him, but his arms are too weak to hold him up and he falls back to the ground. He never imagined he'd die like this, in a dark alley with pale hands gripping onto his shirt and nothing to do about it and as he waits, with his eyes locked on those red eyes and glinting teeth, he wonders if he's okay with it. 

There's hot breath against his neck now and it makes his body wrack with shivers. Before he knows it his body goes slack and his vision black but not before he hears a muffled voice.

"Jihoon, let him go." 

When Yukwon wakes again, he isn't met with red like last time, but instead with the faint smell of lavender and warm brown eyes. It's a huge contrast to the last time; he's lying against the softest cushions he's ever felt in his twenty-two years of life instead of the rough ground and all he wants to do is sink into them. But then he remembers the brown eyes and he bolts upright, shouting out in pain from his ribs. Why does he hurt so much? What happened? Where is he?

"Easy there. You don't want to hurt yourself any further." 

The voice is soft and calm, barely above a whisper. It soothes him and, even though he's still slightly internally panicing, he's thankful. He looks around the room briefly before his eyes land on the brown ones. They belong to a man with round glasses and black hair, his gaze fully on Yukwon. The latter notices the faint color of tattoos peeking out on his hands from his black sweater and before he can ask the man where he is, he speaks. 

"Don't look so frightened, you're safe. No one here is gonna hurt you," he says with a small smile. It's comforting, to say the least. 

It takes a second for Yukwon to answer, his mind and eyes instead on the room he's in. It's a pretty decent sized room, with cream colored walls and a pale green accent wall on the farther side of the room. A dresser stands in front of it and along side it a large closet. Lavender curtains flow gently from a single window and in front of it rests a pot of flowers, the blossoms a fading pink with a white trim. He's seen them before at funerals but he can't place their name.

"They're oriental lillies," the man says. He must have been staring at them for a little too long. "They symbolize eternal life." Yukwon nods his head, still too dazed and cautious to speak. There's nothing about the other that screams for him to run like he's used to, but with the way his voice is strong but soft and his gaze understanding, it's like he's done this before. 

"Who are you?" He asks. If he's honest he couldn't care less about what his name was. He just wants to know why his ribs feel like they're piercing his lungs with every move he makes and get out as soon as he can. If things somehow get bad he could escape through the window, but he doesn't know how far the drop would be let alone if—

"Like I said earlier, no one is gonna hurt you, so you can stop looking to the window every few seconds. I'm Lee Taeil. And you?" 

"Yukwon...Kim Yukwon." He replies hesitantly, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "Where am I? What happened?" 

"You mean you don't remember?" Taeil's voice is a little higher now, rich in concern and his eyebrows furrowed. Now that Yukwon looks back on it, he doesn't really remember anything from the night before—or was it a few nights ago?—except for his body feeling like it was ran over by a bus and red eyes and, oh. He remembers now. He remembers the feeling of cold hands and warm breath and the feeling of fear is settling back in his chest and he needs to get out, get out but his legs seem to be paralyzed and his breathing is becoming labored by the second. The blond can hear Taeil's voice somewhere in the ringing in his ears but he can't make out what he's saying. 

In the entire time he's been alive, constantly fighting for his own survival since he can remember, he never thought a thing like this would happen to him. 

That having a close encounter with a vampire would be the thing to break him. 

Hands on his forearms is what brings him jolting out of his stupor and panic is racing through his veins, now. Tearing the hands from him Yukwon's first instinct is to throw a series of blind punches and kicks, one after another, a few hitting their target. He can hear Taeil calling his name out but with everything going so fast he doesn't know if he's to his right or to his left and the sound of his heart beating rapidly in his ears doesn't help. 

"Jaehyo!"

Jaehyo? The new name makes him stop in his tracks for a second and before he knows it, someone behind him takes the advantage and wraps their arms around his, restraining him against their chest while he kicks his legs. "Let me go!" He shouts, his voice cracking at the end.

The situation is familiar to him. It's happened time and time again with him getting his knuckles bloody and thrown around because of something he has no control over.

Maybe it's the way of the world; with bloody hands and chest cavities torn piece by piece and left as empty graveyards, leaving him to pick up the shards on his own. 

The one holding him, Jaehyo, he presumes, whispers into his ear and the hot breath sends him realing. As he kicks his leg back he doesn't notice another person entering the room until their hands are cupping his face. The hands are firm yet gentle, like they're holding something dear and fragile. The touch itself seems to calm him somewhat but the arms around him feel like a prison and he needs to get out. As he continues to writhe in the hold, the pressure against his cheeks hardens and he's forced to look into another set of brown eyes framed by honey-colored hair. 

"We're here to help you, okay? No one is going to hurt you. You're safe here. We promise." The stranger says softly. It's like Yukwon is in a trance; his movements becoming sluggish until he's still in the other's arms, breathing heavily. As he continues to look into the strangers eyes a pleasant feeling washes over him from head to toe and before he knows it he's being lead to the sofa, gaze never faltering. 

"There, that's more like it, yeah? None of that will help any of us." The man smiles widely and rubs his thumbs softly over Yukwon's cheeks before he pulls them away and rests them in his lap. This is the moment where he takes everything back smoothly like a soft gust of wind and he pulls his eyes away only for them to find Taeil again. The tatted man is standing calmly to his right. A pang of guilt bursts through him when he realizes that Taeil's lip is bloody and the latter must sense it for he lifts his hand and shakes his head, a small smile graced across his face. Movement to his left reminds him that oh yeah, there's someone else in the room. The other is the complete opposite of Taeil; from his height to his hair to the lack of tattoos and he hopes he didn't hurt this guy because of how intimidating he looks. This must be Jaehyo, he concludes. 

"Are you okay now?" Taeil asks.

"As okay as I can be," he retorts with and the honey-haired man chuckles. The act confuses him and he looks to Taeil for answers only to be met with a look that can only mean for him not to question it. 

"I'm Kyung, by the way. And Mr. Quiet over there is Jaehyo." Yukwon feels a little more comfortable knowing everyone else's names now, the knowledge calming his nerves somewhat. "So, what do you remember? Minhyuk and Jihoon found you bloody and beaten up." Kyung's words haven't lost the tenderness they had just a few moments ago, making sure to stay cautious so the question doesn't send him into something that resembles another panic attack. He can sense their uneasiness in the way they stand around him, Jaehyo's shoulders tense in a way that makes them look broader, Taeil's eyes locked on him like a prison guard and even with their good intentions, Yukwon feels like he's suffocating.

When he thinks back far enough, he doesn't know if he'd rather want to have died by the hands of a vampire in the dark alley instead of relay the reasons of why he was found busted to almost all hell. But warm brown eyes coach him on and he takes a deep breath. "I was supposed to be meeting someone just a few blocks from my house, for what I honestly don't remember. When I turned down an alley a group of four people or so were blocking my path, looking like they were waiting for me. I went to go turn around but one of them pulled me back and slammed me against the wall, hitting my head so hard I blacked out instantly. I don't know what happened after that until I woke up with red eyes staring above me."

It wasn't a lie, so to speak. He just left out the part where before he blacked out, one of the guys pulled him back by the hair, whispering harshly into his ear with a smirk in his voice, telling him that he was the pay for his father's debt. 

Opening his eyes, he saw Jaehyo's arms crossed tightly, long hair falling freely into his face and obscuring it into shadow, eyes sharp and intense. The other two, however, seemed calmer than they had been. A smile finds it's way yet again onto Kyung's face. 

"Well, at least nothing was broken." Kyung said, standing to his feet. He turns to Jaehyo. "Okay, silent treatment, why don't you come with me so we can get Yukwon some pain medicine and some tea." Uncrossing his arms, Jaehyo opens his mouth to protest, but one glace at Taeil seems to make him stop and with a sigh, he makes his way to the door, Kyung on his heels. After the door closes with a soft click, Taeil turns to him and he pushes his glasses up from the bridge of his nose. 

"You should rest up a little before they come back," he says. "There will be others joining us soon. But if you wish to not meet them, that is fine. I hope to see you make a full recovery, Kim Yukwon." And with a slight bow, the man leaves with silent footsteps and Yukwon releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. Who was joining them? How many were there? Are they as kind as Taeil and Kyung, or as stoic and intimidating as Jaehyo? The questions form into a jumbled mess and he puts his face in his hands. The group were an odd bunch, each with very different auras and the overwhelming sense of trust and something he can't put his finger on fills his chest, the sensation leading him to squeeze his eyes shut tighter. 

He isn't surprised to see red behind his eyelids.


	2. Monochrome

The room was quiet as he continued to sit, his eyes locked on the lilies by the window. The events of today reeled through his mind and he was exhausted, although the thought of sleep sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine so instead he sits, having the stare-down of the century with a pot of flowers that somehow seemed to not fit in with everything and everyone. Yukwon couldn't point out what it was. Maybe it was the colors that clashed with those of the room. Maybe because it clashed with Yukwon himself; full of life and color while he was there like a boring grey wall. Didn't Taeil say that they symbolized eternal life? Boring grey walls don't have that. But being the boring grey wall meant that he was safe.

Most of the time.

A soft rustling behind the door catches his attention and he straightens, shoulders slightly tense. There's a knock before it opens and all of Yukwon becomes tense when he realizes that it's not one of the three from before. The stranger's hair is what he sees first, the dark brown styled upwards so it exposes his forehead is a huge contrast to Kyung's, even his own lengthy blond. He's carrying a small tray with what looks like tea and the painkillers Kyung mentioned before. Yukwon watches the other's every move carefully as he gently puts the tray on the coffee table, eyes not once looking up at him. He doesn't know whether to take comfort in the act or not. It's after a few seconds of the man arranging the contents on the tray before his eyes snap to his and Yukwon half expects them to be red. He flinches from the sudden eye contact but doesn't back down. Instead, his mouth gets the better of him like it always does.

"You're not Kyung," he blurts out. Of course, he's not. The obvious statement makes him mentally slap himself. He averts his eyes, embarrassment flushing against his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He's never embarrassed himself like this before, especially not in front of a stranger, and the thought makes him want to rip his hair out from the roots. The need to apologize—or to just say something in an attempt to rid the overwhelming atmosphere that has a hold on his throat—rises but as he opens his mouth a chuckle escapes from the man in front of him. The thought of apologizing is thrown out the window and replaced with annoyance. Is he laughing at me? he thinks, a slight scowl making its wait to his brow. Hm, and to think I was going to apologize.

"No, I'm afraid not," the brunette says. He straightens with a slight smile on his face. The small quirk of his lips doesn't comfort Yukwon if anything it just annoys him even more. His voice is familiar though, he knows it is. It pokes at something in the back of his mind but no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to grasp it. "I'm Minhyuk."

Minhyuk. Kyung mentioned earlier that a Minhyuk and someone else found him in that alley. Was this him? A small part of him hoped it wasn't.

"The tea has honey in it and the painkillers are just regular Advil," Minhyuk said. His stance was somewhat awkward, Yukwon noticed, switching his weight from one foot to the other while he slid his hands into his pockets. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to come to one of us. Kyung would hate you if you didn't."

Yukwon nods his head, scooting on his seat to get in better reach of the tea. The scent fills his nostrils and the sweetness of it prompts a soft sigh from his lips. He doesn't remember the last time he had tea, let alone even smell it. Maybe it was before his father turned to other vices to use as substitutes of solutions to his problems. He doesn't care, though. Grasping the cup softly, he looks up to see Minhyuk at the door, his back towards him. Letting go of the fleeting sense of irritation, he speaks softly.

"Thank you, Minhyuk."

It's almost a whisper and he wasn't sure if the other had heard the three words, but when Minhyuk stops his hand from turning the knob and his stance softens, he knows he did. He expected him to just nod his head curtly and leave like nothing happened, so when instead he turned to him with a smile that could rival the sun, he's surprised.

"You're welcome, Yukwon." And with that he slips out the door, leaving Yukwon bewildered if only for a moment.


	3. Wake Up

Yukwon looks behind him as he continues to run, breath shallow and legs aching, feeling close to passing out but he refuses to stop. The constant glances over his shoulder is what keeps him moving forward. He doesn't remember what he's running from but the fear wrecking havoc through his veins sets in the thought that he's in danger and he needs to keep going. The moon is his only source of light and he pulls his body away from hitting a low tree branch at the last minute, stumbling. Panting, Yukwon sets his eyes around him, trying to listen to any sort of sound that could help him determine where the thing he's running from his. Nothing but silence meets his ears and he continues running. He blinks, and the next thing he knows is he's in the middle of a large clearing, moonlight shining unforgivingly on him like a spotlight-practically giving away that he's out of place. There's a moment of silence as he looks around him, wondering how he got there. The moonlight paints everything around him in a pale-blueish hue from the grass to the tops of the trees. There's something unnerving about the look and somberness of it all; there's something missing but he can't figure out what. 

Momentarily forgetting about what was chasing after him, the blond makes his way slowly through the clearing, the tips of the tall grass gently grazing against his fingertips. His footsteps don't sound and he tries not too think much of it. There's movement somewhere to his right and as Yukwon turns around, a loud shriek breaks through the silence. 

"Yukwon!" 

He knows that voice: the one he can't grasp but still somehow ends up sending shivers down his spine. Maybe he subconsciously knows who it belongs to because without noticing, he starts sprinting towards the edge of the clearing, worry making its way onto his shoulders. Yukwon watches as the moonlight becomes unbearably bright to the point where he has to cover his eyes to see where hes going. 

"Yukwon!" He hears again. His heart pounds in his throat. 

"Minhyuk!" 

It takes him a moment to realize that it was him who said that, voice cracking and shaking as he jumps over tree roots and weaving through thick bushes. Where is he? is the only thing that goes through his mind before he's tackled to the ground. His head bounces off a thick tree root and everything in his line of sight starts to spin and he feels the need to throw up, hardly managing to breathe. Barely mustering enough strength, he tries to push himself away from whatever the hell it was that barreled into him. He just makes it a few inches before the thing grabs his ankle with unmistakably human hands and pulls him forward like a ragdoll. 

Putting whatever strength he has left into his arms, Yukwon starts to punch and shove at the thing (person) away from him. A sharp sense of déjà vu settles in his chest and he makes the mistake of looking at the person's face. 

Red eyes and sharp, glinting teeth. 

He shouldn't be surprised, if he's honest. Everything somehow seemed familiar and yet here he is again, on the end of freezing pale hands that grip too strongly onto his arms and not being able to look away from those piercing eyes. 

Yukwon knows that he isn't going to make it out this time; he's in the middle of nowhere for God's sake and the chance of there actually being someone stupid enough to take on a vampire is close to null. 

The vampire, who he notices has way too wide eyes and way too big ears, comes closer to his neck, licking over the juncture between his neck and shoulder. Shudders wreck deep through Yukwon and he tries for one last punch, but the other has his hands pinned to the ground above his head and great, this is how it ends. 

Tensing, he feels sharp teeth start to dig into his skin and he wills himself to not make a sound. It's pathetic really, how he so easily submitted to such a monster, willing to give up his life just like that after barely putting up a fight-if he can even call it that. 

His father would be proud, he thinks. 

The vampire's fangs slowly puncture his skin and the next thing he knows is he's burning. Everything feels as if it's been set on fire, from the bite on his neck to the tips of his toes and even inside his veins and it's excruciating. Screaming, Yukwon tries to writhe away but the hold on him becomes tighter, preventing him from even moving a single inch. 

He opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is the blurry light of the moon. It feels like it's taunting him; being so close but yet so far away. Just like everything else. 

Suddenly, there's movement around him and the vampire gets thrown off him, sent into a tree a few yards away. Yukwon should be affected, but the burning has spread even further and he can barely keep his eyes open long enough to see what it was that practically pulled death away from him. He sends out a silent thank you in hopes that somehow his savior would get it and closes his eyes. 

"Yukwon?" 

This voice is different, almost a complete contrast to the one-Minhyuk's, his mind registers-that called out to him before. This one is soft yet strong, one that demands attention even when spoken in the quietest of whispers. A hand comes to his neck and puts pressure on it. The touch seems to dim down the burning sensation that's still causing chaos in his nerve endings, but only by a little bit.

"Yukwon? Come on, open your eyes for me." 

He does as he's told and slowly cracks his eyes open. His sight is blurry but he can make out that someone is leaning over him, perhaps even just a couple inches from his face. His eyes trail up from plump lips to soft, round cheeks before they finally land on a pair of eyes. A dark and sharp pair of eyes that didn't match: the left a deep brown and the right almost a blinding blue-white. They pierce right through him but in a way that's different from the first couple times. Yukwon doesn't feel fear or panic when he looks into them, just calmness and security. It's something that he hasn't felt in years and he can barely stop himself from drowning in them. The person doesn't break eye contact as he shifts Yukwon into his hold, one hand still on his neck and the other around his shoulders. He can see the other's lips start to move but no sound follows through. It looks like he's repeating the same word over and over again for a few moments and it's only then that the other's voice starts to appear. It's soft at first, but with each passing syllable it becomes more persistent and determined and with a breah, the blond finally hears what he's being told:

Wake up.

~

Jolting upright from where he lay on the couch, Yukwon wakes in a cold sweat, a shout upon his lips. Brown eyes trail swiftly from one corner of the room to another, hands shaking and knuckles white from the death grip he has on the couch. He's not in the forest anymore: he's back in the quiet room with his only companion being the oriental lillies sitting by the window. He doesn't remember falling asleep or even finishing his tea but by the way the golden light that creeps through the window making everything look serene, he can only guess that he's been out for a while now. 

The softness of the cushions underneath him is warm and comforting, a stark difference from the cold, hard ground from the forest. The thought of it makes him shiver. 

Pushing it aside, he swings his legs over the edge of the couch and plants his feet on the floor. It's only then that he notices that he's barefoot, the coolness of the hardwood traveling up his way too warm body. Using the armrest as a crutch he pulls himself up, surprised that he didn't immediately fall back. However, his stomach lurches and it causes him to wrench his eyes shut tightly. Images flash behind his eyelids as the feeling to spill the contents of his stomach arises with no mercy; big eyes and sharp teeth and the moon and red, so much red to the point he never wants to see the color ever again. It all begins to fade, though, when those sharp cat-like eyes come into view and everything settles as fast as it came. 

In its wake is nothing but an overwhelming sense of relief and he opens his eyes. It was all so sudden, like the snap of fingers. He wonders who the pair of eyes belong to and why they leave such an effect on him. It's slightly unnerving. 

With a breath he makes his way to the door. Stopping short with a hand gently on the door knob he listens intently for any sign of the others. It's quiet....have they left? He slowly turns the knob and makes himself out the door into a hallway. 

A very long hallway. 

The walls are dark with a white patterning along the edges, pots of all kinds of flowers—none that he can place the name of—hang from the ceiling and in between them glass chandeliers that provide a dim light. A closer looks at them provides the sight of candles, their flames dancing slowly to music only they could hear, causing shadows to stretch up and down the walls. 

"Where the hell am I?" Yukwon says, his voice quiet but rough. 

There's nothing that decorates the walls besides the patterning. No shelves, no pictures-nothing. It's all barren and the sight makes his heart clench with sadness. 

Making his way down the hallway he runs his hands along the wall, trying to keep his gaze away from the flowers and keep going foreward. They seem to give the overall gloomy atmosphere a touch of life and he wonders if they were Taeil's idea. 

He turns a corner and immediately bumps into something solid and stumples backwards. Before he could hit the floor, an arm wraps around his waist and a large hand grabs his forearm, carefully steadying him back to his feet. The faint smell of cologne reaches his nostrils and it's like everything has frozen in the moment except for Yukwon's rapid beating heart. It takes everything in Yukwon to move his eyes up the new comer's face, half expecting to be met with those god awful red eyes that seem to be following him everywhere.

Instead, when he looks up from the stranger's broad chest, he sees a pair of brown orbs surrounded by long, brown bangs. The stranger's long hair is pulled into what looks like a lazy ponytail and he realizes a second too late that he ran into the person he wanted to see the least, even if the sight of anyone would settle his tense shoulders. 

Jaehyo. 

Jaehyo looks at him with an unreadable expression, his eyes flicking over Yukwon's features before his grip loosens on his arm. "Yukwon," he begins. Yukwon realizes that this is the first time he's heard the other speak. His voice is a lot softer than he imagined would come from the intimidating man he encountered before. "Are you alright? Do you need anything? I'm sorry for stumbling into you; I should've been looking where I was going."

Mouth slightly agape, the blond isn't sure which to address first. "I-its's fine, I'm fine." he replied, voice small. He can still feel Jaehyo's hand on the small of his back, keeping him upright. 

"I was actually coming to get you. Kyung thought that you must be hungry." Jaehyo said. "He also wants you to be ready for when the other's arrive. They've been waiting on an update about your recovery." 

Jaehyo unwinds his arm from around Yukwon and leads the way down another hallway, one with more flowers, more chandeliers and more thick shadows that climb up the walls. 

"Others? Where are Taeil and Minhyuk?"

Jaehyo nodded his head, ponytail bouncing along with the motion. Yukwon cracked a smile. "They are with them now, taking care of some...business, I guess."

The last part is said quietly, causing a wave of curiosity to pull at his chest. Jaehyo turns another corner and they're met with a wide staircase that leads to a large foyer. A single chandelier hangs from the ceiling, except this one has light bulbs in place of the candles. It's a beautiful view and he's slightly surprised to see not a single plant in sight. 

They walk down the stairs silently, Yukwon's eyes in search of other exits besides what he assumes is the front door. These people may have been kind enough to help him, but there's an odd feeling surrounding them all and it makes his hand twitch. Jaehyo's steps are almost completely silent on the wood floor, the observation stirring something in his gut. The taller man leads him into another hallway and they walk past a mirror and when Yukwon catches sight of himself, he freezes in his tracks. 

His face looks nothing like that of someone who had just been beaten to a pulp. There's no bruises, no cuts or swelling—nothing besides the faint pink scars that run across his cheek and below his lower lip. Hesitantly, he walks towards the large full-body mirror, hand raising to gently prod at the scars. Those weren't there before, but they're slightly raised and feel real enough that he runs his hand through his hair, huffing a sigh. His cuts had never healed this fast before. Maybe he'll ask Taeil about what he used when they patched him up. 

"Are you alright, Yukwon?"

The mentioned turns to Jaehyo who stands at the end of the hallway, face once again expressionless. 

"Yeah," he replies, stepping away from the mirror. Jaehyo bows his head a little when he reaches him and turns gracefully on his heel, continuing until they enter what looks like a large living room. The walls are the same color as the ones in the room he woke up in. Two windows that stretch from the floor to the ceiling bring in the early evening light and a cool, comforting breeze that flows gently through his hair. To his far right is a grand fireplace and on the mantle rest little trinkets and, to Yukwon's surpise, a single photo. He has to squint but he can make out six figures, all huddled together. It sticks out like a sore thumb against what he's seen of the house so far; it radiates it's own light and warmth in the seemingly closed off space. Two couches and a single armchair sit around the fireplace, a simple black coffee table resting before them in the center, all of it sitting atop of a very soft looking white rug. Everything looks as if it hasn't been lived in, and he wonders if it even really has been. 

"Have a seat, make yourself comfortable," Jaehyo begins. Even with his voice soft, it travels throughout the big space, powerful within its own. "I'll be in the kitchen helping Kyung. Yell if you need anything, alright?" He leaves before he can let Yukwon answer, disappearing behind a door that he hadn't noticed was there. 

He sits quietly, fiddling with his fingers before he starts to become restless and stands up, making his way slowly around the room, looking at everything. He finds the signature pot of flowers sitting between the two windows except these one's are a pure white. Not sparing it another glance, he continues his wondering, eyes flicking back towards the door Jaehyo had disappeared behind. The room feels slightly different without the other's presence and he can't decide if it's good or bad. He runs his fingers softly along the back of the couch. It's silent besides the cracking of the fire. 

He walks over to the mantle, picking up one of the trinkets he noticed earlier. It's a gun made of silver, sitting weighted in his palm. There are small, swirl-like patterns engraved along the sides of it, fading one it reaches the barrel. Despite being above the fireplace, it's chilled to the the touch and Yukwon, not knowing why are where it came from, has the feeling that he should put it down and act like it never existed. Gently, the blond sets it back on its little stand and moves onto the next ones-a small, pale blue snow globe that has a slight crack circling the top, a couple replicas of what look like cherry blossom trees, and a necklace. It's silver with a ring in place of a charm, on it a single cresent moon, sitting right before the photograph. It glints in the sunlight and he feels a slight pull to it. Ignoring it, he turns his attention to the photo and the six figures in it. They all have some sort of smile on their faces, some looking more forced than others looked genuine. Kyung's cheesy grin greets him, making a smile of his own appear on his lips but it comes as fast as it goes when he looks at the person he's draped on.

Plump lips, round cheeks, and sharp eyes. 

It's the person from his dream, but instead his eyes match: both eyes so dark they look almost black. He has short, light brown hair that falls into his eyes and is sporting a small smirk. He doesn't realize he's reaching out to pick it up.

Not before a hand catches him tightly by the wrist. 

Jerking away, he wips around to whoever has a grip on him. "Get off of me!" he tries to say, but the other's eyes are narrow and dark and he clamps his mouth shut because it's him. Except he can't be because his touch was more gentle and kind, his gaze full of comfort and relief. The man in front of him now radiates coldness and demands subversion.

They stare at each other, Yukwon's chest rattling with every breath he takes and hands itching for a fight that's possible to come at any moment, neither if their gazes faltering.

Yukwon wants to say something, anything that could break the overwhelming tension that continues to grow between them. He wants to grab every letter that's on the tip of his tongue and force them into syllables until they become something, anything, as long as it gets him out if this situation. Maybe something like Why the fuck were you in my dreams, you creep? will suffice just fine. But the other takes him by surprise by speaking first, his tone the same as it was when he told him to wake up, except this time something venomous leaks with every word. 

"Some things are better left untouched." he says, grip never loosening. 

Yukwon shifts from one foot to the other, the heat of the fire suddenly becoming too warm to be close to. He scoffs and clenches his free hand into a fist. 

"I agree," he retorts. "you should let me go, then."

The stranger's lips twitch at the corners, making out the growl in his voice. Yukwon wants nothing more than to wipe the smirk off his face. Who the fuck does he think he is, he thinks, lips turned downward into a scowl. 

"Jiho!"

The both of them turn towards the new voice, neither of them hearing the creek of the door opening. Kyung and Jaehyo stand in the doorway, looking more or less taken aback by the sight before them. Jiho releases his wrist and waves at them, not at all ashamed that he had been caught. Jaehyo looks more exasperated now as he makes his way towards them and lands a hand on Yukwon's shoulder. 

"Hey Kyung, Jaehyo! Taeil and Minhyuk should be down with Jihoon any moment now-he's had a rough day."

A shadow of something passes quickly across Kyung's face, eyes going dark. It doesn't seem to deter him, though, as he smiles and nods. Yukwon feels Jaehyo's grip on his shoulder tighten, the pressure almost...protective? He doesn't know why he would be. Maybe it's the looks that Kyung and Jiho are throwing at each other, seeming to communicate with a language only they understand. He wonders if it's about this Jihoon. 

"Well," Kyung says, smile still on his face. It looks forced. "good thing he has Taeil and Minhyuk to comfort him." He turns to Jaehyo. "Why don't you go fetch them. I know Minhyuk has been asking about him."  
Kyung's eyes flicker over to Yukwon once the last words come out. 

Yukwon can sense Jaehyo tense from behind him and a part of him thinks he's going to try and protest, but the next thing he knows is his hand slides from his shoulder and he treks towards the door the both of them entered from earlier. The disappearance of the contact makes him want to follow after him, to get as far away from Jiho as possible. The two have very contrasting vibes about them and with Yukwon having a knack for finding trouble-or rather trouble finding him-he'd rather refrain from testing the waters and stick with anyone besides Jiho. 

Yukwon doesn't notice that he staring at the doorway until a voice rings out his name. 

"What?" he asks, blinking. 

Jiho scoffs and tries to hide it behind his hand. The same annoyance he had with Minhyuk filters back and with much resilience, he holds his tongue. Kyung doesn't pay him any mind, opting to turn his full attention on the blond with a smaller, more gentle smile. 

"I said I made you some food," he says with the hint of amusement woven within his words. "I'm not sure if the other's will eat, but there's enough for everyone." This part must be aimed at Jiho, the man leaning against the mantle and toying with the silver gun, nodding aimlessly. Yukwon watches as he spins it around his finger. 

"Thank you." Yukwon replies and chooses to ignore Jiho further. The other doesn't seem phased. 

"No need!" The grin is back on Kyung's face. The sight erases any thought of protest or insistence from his lips, replacing them with compliance. The same warm feeling from when he first encountered the honey-haired man comes back full force and it makes his head fuzzy, as if it was filled with cotton. 

Kyung makes his way back to what must be the door that leads to the kitchen. "Jiho," he says over his shoulder. "Show Yukwon to the table. I'll go get dinner." 

Jiho only gives him a grunt in response before he sets the gun down and pushes himself up from the mantle. He looks slightly annoyed and if it wasn't for the sense of tranquility he was feeling that weighed down on his shoulders like a blanket, Yukwon thinks he would be too.

"This way, princess," Jiho smirks. He leads him through another door that he didn't notice and pushes it open with his shoulder. They enter a slightly smaller room and at the center stands a very large and lengthy dining table. The wood is dark and a thin white table cloths sits atop it. A chair sits at one end of the table and three on each side. Yukwon's never seen a table this big, only used to the small two-seater ones and even the occasional coffee table. He feels small next to it. 

He watches as Jiho makes his way to the end of the table and sits in the chair, putting his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his interlocked fingers. The smirk is still on his face but it feels different, looks less mocking. Jiho cocks his head slightly. 

"Sit anywhere you like. I don't bite."

A shiver runs up Yukwon's neck at the words but he ignores it, choosing to sit at one of the chairs at the opposite end. With what's been going on lately he's not sure if he believes him.

There's an awkward silence that settles between the two but it eventually fades away and turns into what actually may be tolerance and Yukwon can feel the tension slowly ease from him. Jiho doesn't bother him, doesn't make any effort into trying to communicate with him, more focused on messing with the skin surrounding his cuticles and humming an offbeat tune. Yukwon takes the time to look around the room, noticing once again no plants and the four lamps that sit in each corner of the room, filling it with a warm glow. Even with Jiho he thinks this is the most at ease he's been in a while, besides from when he's near some of the others. Even then something lingers within him that has him constantly on the alert. 

It doesn't last long, though. 

The door opens and Jaehyo walks through. There's something akin to unease as he walks to the table and sits next to him. Minhyuk follows not long afterwards and he sends Yukwon a soft smile when his eyes catch him. His hair is slightly disheveled, like he may have been pulling at it somewhat, but other than that he looks okay and Yukwon nods at him in greeting. Minhyuk sits a across from, sparing a glance at Jaehyo who is all but radiating apprehension. Yukwon opens his mouth to ask him what's wrong, but the door opens again, and he turns to see who it is. A tall man enters the room, his hair dark and slightly curly. He's wearing a long jacket over his dark clothes and is barefoot, face turned away from the blond as he closes the door quietly.

This must be Jihoon.

The stranger turns around then and the moment the two lock eyes Yukwon freezes, his blood running cold and heart thumping in his chest. 

He knows those eyes, the very ones that kept him captive along with those cold hands that night in the alley. A hand, who he assumes is Jaehyo's, wraps around his wrist softly and he pulls back, standing so forcefully that his chair falls backwards with a loud thud. He trips over it as he tries to back away quickly and lands on his backside, landing awkwardly on his wrist. There's movement as Jaehyo and Minhyuk stand from the table, running to Yukwon and Jihoon respectively, Jiho unmoving at the head of the table. Yukwon can't keep his eyes from the other and he notices that his eyes aren't red but are in fact a deep brown. 

Even with his eyes dark and normal, this is the vampire he almost lost his life to.


	4. Confession

Yukwon can hear Jaehyo calling his name and yelling to someone that he knew this was going to happen, that no one ever listens to him. He hears someone snap something back but he can't make out who. Heart in his throat, he crawls backwards until his back hits the wall, rising to his feet and not once looking away from Jihoon. There's an expression on his face that looks almost...hurt, maybe even remorseful. But he doesn't know why a vampire would feel such things; he didn't even know if they could feel things like that.

He wants out of this room, out of this house and he almost lets himself wish for Taeil, but he doesn't know if he can even trust him anymore.

Jaehyo moves into his line of vision and stretches out his hand. Yukwon flinches away instinctively before he can make contact and pushes himself further against the wall.

"Don't touch me!" He cries out. Everyone except Jiho flinches at his outburst, who is still seated at the table as if nothing was going on, like this was a daily occurrence. Despite all of his, Yukwon can see he's stock still with his hands on the table in front of him, making loose fists. The sight jolts something up his spine. "Stay the hell away from me!"

"I won't," Jaehyo said, hand still stretched out to him like he was approaching a frightened animal.

Maybe he was.

"Just let me explain-"

"There's nothing to explain. You brought me back here because they found me in the alley and I needed 'help' - when in fact he almost killed me!

"He's a monster, and maybe you all are, too. I would very much rather have died back in that alley than let you ever come near me again."

Jaehyo's face falls and something in Yukwon feels regret that he was the cause of it, but he pushes it down and sets everyone with a glare. He hears more than sees Jiho stand from his seat, a low growl ripping from his throat and chair screeching against the floor as it's pushed back violently. The next thing he knows is a hand is wrapped around his neck and an arm pushing against his chest, locking him against the wall. The grip on his throat tightens slightly, not intending to do any damage other than to threaten and his face is mere centimeters away from his face.

Jiho's eyes aren't their dark shade anymore, the right iris back to that unnatural blue-white. Seeing it this up close again makes Yukwon shudder. His eyes aren't as comforting as they were in his dream - they keep him locked in place with something so fiery that he can feel it in his bones. This is the exact opposite of what happens when he looks into Kyung's eyes and he hates it.

Jiho doesn't speak for a moment, just holds him steady with his scowl and it looks like he's trying to keep himself calm.

It's funny how everything can change like the snap of a finger.

"You humans are always the first to discriminate," Jiho hissed. Yukwon can see the faintest sight of fangs when Jiho opens his mouth and if it wasn't for the hand curled around his throat he would've cowered. "You call us monsters because we're different, because of how we fight for our own survival - like you don't do the same thing every night throwing stones or breaking in your fists."

Yukwon grunts when Jiho shoves him, his head smacking against the wall and Jiho snickers under his breath, not a single ounce of mirth laced within the sound.

"Humans have purged and killed and raped for centuries for their own personal gain, for wealth and power, and you call us monsters? I hate to break it to you, princess, but we're anything but compared to you."

Jiho releases his hold on him and steps back as he watches Yukwon slide down the wall and onto the floor. Yukwon takes a couple deep breaths and Jaehyo, despite what Yukwon said earlier, rushes to his side. The door opens again and Taeil and Kyung finally emerge, the both of them stopping in their tracks at the commotion, trays of food in their hands. Kyung's gaze darkens as Jiho looks to him and Taeil heaves an exasperated sigh and lowers the tray softly onto the table.

"Minhyuk, take Jihoon upstairs."

Minhyuk doesn't say anything as he takes Jihoon's hand and leads him out the door, although the slight frown at the corners of his lips speaks for him. Jihoon's eyes land on Yukwon one last time and the latter swears he saw the glimmer of tears forming.

Jiho and Kyung are doing that thing again, where they talk with eye contact instead of words and Jiho sighs, annoyed. Jiho goes to pass Kyung but is stopped abruptly by the latter's hand gripping his arm. Kyung's gaze is at Yukwon and he looks so angry that Yukwon winces at the sight; he can practically see steam coming from his ears.

"I don't know what you're doing," he growls. "But you better pull yourself together before I do it for you."

Jiho, with one last glance at Yukwon, yanks his arm from Kyung's grip and leaves the room.

Yukwon's eyes meet Kyung's and that feeling washes over him. But this time he notices something happen with Kyung's eyes: the irises become a light gold, but it all happens in the blink of an eye and if he wasn't so on guard, he would've missed it.

"What did you just do?" he asks. There's no bite in his voice anymore. "You're one too, aren't you?"

Kyung looks down at his feet, seeming to weigh his thoughts before his eyes flick to Jaehyo and then Taeil, who's standing quietly by the table. He sighs and moves forward slowly, until he's in front of Yukwon enough that his shoes slightly brush against the other's bare feet. He doesn't meet the blond's eyes until he's crouched in front of him, hair obscuring Yukwon's view of his face.

"I am, and so is Taeil, just like Jiho, Minhyuk, and Jihoon."

Yukwon takes a deep breath and nods his head until he furrows his eyebrows. What about Jaehyo? Surely he was one too, right? As if he was reading his mind, Kyung gently patted Yukwon's leg before he spoke.

"Jaehyo is...ah," Kyung stutters although there is a slight tug at his lips. "You could say he's a witch."

Yukwon flips the words over and over in his head, processing them as best as he could. No wonder he felt something different about Jaehyo than the others; he obviously had some type of magical pull and Yukwon, like he did to everything he didn't know absolutely everything about, kept trying to stay away. He looked over at Jaehyo. Like he had promised before he didn't touch him, even though it was written plain on his face that he wanted to, his hands firmly on his knees. That unreadable expression is back on his face again and if he was honest, it annoyed him. Not being able to see what the other felt, what he was thinking, it made Yukwon feel vulnerable and useless.

Shifting into a proper position, Yukwon hisses as a sharp pain is spread throughout the back of his head and neck. Jaehyo's eyes widen and he leans forward, raising his hands before he thinks the better of it and puts them back down.

"He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?" He questions instead.

Yukwon gently prods at the back of his head, checking for blood. He pulls his hand back to find his hand clean of any and shakes his head, the only thing he felt was a bump. "No, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I can-"

"I said I'm okay."

Jaehyo pulls his lips into a thin line and doesn't insist on helping him again. Yukwon doesn't know why he feels bad but he shakes it off and turns his attention back to Kyung.

"You didn't answer my question," he says.

"He glamoured you," Taeil puts in before Kyung can form his own answer. "He's done it to you before: earlier back when we had to calm you down."

Yukwon closes his eyes and takes a shuddered breath. So one vampire tries to kill him and the other uses him as his plaything, what an amazing story to tell his grandchildren.

"I don't like doing it." Kyung's voice cuts in and it sounds smaller than it was--more vulnerable. "I only do it when it's absolutely necessary."

Yukwon watches Kyung as he speaks and picks up his little mannerisms, how he looks more to Taeil than he does Yukwon himself and with how everyone treats Taeil with such unspoken respect, he puts two-and-two together and comes up with that Taeil must be the oldest.

Yukwon takes a moment to lull all the information over until his curiosity plagues him enough that he can't keep his mouth shut any longer. What happened to all the anger and terror just moments ago? Was that put down by Kyung's glamour?

"Can you glamour other vampires, too, or just humans?"

The three are taken by surprise at Yukwon's sudden curiosity. Kyung blinks at him until a grin - small, compared to the ones he's seen - spreads across his face. "I can, but it takes a lot more power and energy to be able to do that."

"He had to once," Jaehyo said. "It took all the strength he had and he passed out when he succeeded. He was unconscious for three days and almost cost me all my healing ingredients! Do you know how expensive it is to buy all the right ones in bulk?"

Kyung giggles sheepishly and Taeil smiles, a knowing look in his eyes. Despite all of the chaos that has happened, the sight makes him forget about what they all really are. More human than human, they say.

"Did you say healing ingredients?" Yukwon asks once he's able to tear his eyes away from the two. "The tea Minhyuk gave me, was that made with those?"

Jaehyo nods his head and the ponytail bobs again. "The spell has been passed down my family for generations, now. It heals everything from minor sickness to almost every injury as long as it isn't fatal. We use stronger spells for those. Luckily, and I don't say this lightly, I've never had to use one."

Yukwon prides himself in taking this all in stride. It explains why all that's left of the night in the alley were the faint scars. Although he's much calmer now, the apprehension still floats around in his chest whenever he thinks about what they are. They're vampires, they kill people. They could have killed him long ago instead of bringing him back here and taking care of him, but they didn't. Why? Did they want something? Or were they just feeling generous?

He doubts it, but he hopes it's the latter.

It's in that moment that Yukwon's stomach decides to make itself known. He can feel his cheeks flush as Kyung laughs and stands to walk to the tray on the table. "Would you like to sit at the table, or do you feel more comfortable on the floor?"

Opting to ignore the teasing tone he stands up with Jaehyo's help and picks up his chair as Jaehyo sits back down next to him. Kyung hands him a bowl and plate filled wih kimchi and dak galbi respectively and does the same with Jaehyo before he turns to talk quietly with Taeil. Yukwon can feel the pull of Jaehyo's magic and it's somehow warm. He wonders if there are aftereffects to Kyung's glamour.

"Wait," Yukwon begins before he starts eating. "I thought vampires only drank blood?" Taeil looks over at him from across the table and gives him a smile.

"An often misconception, I understand why you would think that. Only newborns stick solely to blood for a while. Once they've matured into what they are, they'll be able to continue to eat and drink regular human food."

Yukwon nods silently and takes the first bite of his food; the taste is almost godly on his tongue. He hasn't had food this good in a long while and starts to put away the food at a faster pace. Jaehyo chuckles beside him and puts his hand on top of Yukwon's.

"Slow down, you'll choke."

Apologizing, Yukwon doesn't notice that the door has opened until there are footsteps behind him. He tenses for the umpteenth time that day and feels Jaehyo's warm magic buzz around him. It's comforting and the act makes his shoulders slump in relief. The footsteps lead to the head of the table and when he looks over he spots Jiho sitting back in his seat, quietly taking his share of food. It's almost like nothing had happened. Kyung looks over to him and their eyes meet. He doesn't glamour him, all he does is give him a small smile and turns to grab his own bowl of kimchi.

Minhyuk and Jihoon join them shortly after. Yukwon only dares to look at Jihoon once and notices how red the other's eyes were.

So vampires do experience emotions.

Everything that he's been told about vampires since childhood floods into his mind and he wonders how much of it were lies and which were truth. They ate regular food, they could feel, what else was there? Looking at them all they seem almost human, sort of like a ragtag group of friends, if not for the fact that they're all immortal besides Jaehyo.

Yukwon stops the last bite of dak galbi from reaching his mouth as a thought comes to him.

"Jaehyo, how old are you?"

The question catches the rest of them off guard. Jaehyo looks at him with slightly widened eyes and swallows the food he was chewing.

"I'll be twenty-four in December. Is there a reason why you're asking?"

"Are witches immortal, too?"

Jaehyo blinks at him for a moment before he laughs. Great, he's embarrassed himself again. It's definitely not what Yukwon was expecting and being laughed at for the second time that day annoys him. He wants to go to bed.

Jaehyo shakes his head before answering. "I'm not, no, but there are some witches that are. The type of witches that my family and I are don't associate ourselves with them." He takes a bite of his food before he continues. "They use and possess a different type of magic than we do that is fowl and immoral; you would call that dark or black magic. It's what causes them to be immortal. God knows why they want that type of power for."

Jiho's voice cuts in for the first time since he sat down, muffled from talking around his food and Taeil curls his lip.

"How old are you, Yukwon?"

Yukwon blinks. Yukwon, not princess, Yukwon. This is such a turn-around from the man he first met that insisted on the nickname and it takes him a moment to answer with: "I'm twenty-two."

Something tugs on the corner of Jiho's mouth and a shadow passes swiftly across his face.

"You're young. The same age I was when I was turned."

Silence settles over the table as Jiho stands. He thanks Kyung for the food and excuses himself from the room. Yukwon doesn't owe Jiho anything, not after what just happened, but there's a pang in his chest at how small he sounded. It's not right.

Everyone finishes eating and Kyung piles their dishes on the tray with Taeil's help. The four of them are left in almost an awkward silence as the two leave to the kitchen and Yukwon wrings his hands. He wants someone to say something but at the same time he doesn't, feeling as though it'll break whatever little order that they have. He's drained and exhausted and just wants to finally end this day and wake up to see that this was all a dream. The tension coming from the other side of the table feels too real to be a dream, though.

Just as Minhyuk stands from his seat, Jihoon's eyes lock with Yukwon's. The latter flinches at the sudden eye contact and how filled with guilt they are. Jihoon looks so young, probably barely even twenty, and Yukwon's gut wrenches.

"I understand if you don't want to forgive me," Jihoon starts in a rush, his voice deep and somewhat raspy. "I don't expect you to, but I apologize for what happened in the alley."

Yukwon doesn't say anything right away and instead just stares at the other.

Something breaks in Jihoon's eyes and he hangs his head, following Minhyuk in standing. The amount of emotion that's radiating from the vampire is overbearing and Yukwon can feel himself cracking along with him. Jihoon doesn't raise his eyes from the ground as he walks around the table and towards the door as fast as he can, but before he gets far enough Yukwon grabs the sleeve of his coat, forcing him to stop in his tracks. This is something he normally wouldn't do, opting to just let things be and have it take care of itself, but he can tell how much his forgiveness meant to the other. So with the feeling of Minhyuk's and Jaehyo's eyes on him, he readjusts his grip to a more gentle hold and clears his throat. 

"I accept your apology. I forgive you."

Something shines in Jihoon's eyes as the two make eye contact and Yukwon can feel the air around them become lighter.


End file.
